Sirens of the Sea
by menolikey
Summary: AU: Harry Anje Portugas travels back in time to meet with young Tom Riddle, falls in love with him, and struggles to live in the 1990s, thinking Tom is dead. How can he deal with his creature side, boy-who-lived Thomas Potter, Voldemort, and his feelings for Tom all at the same time? Creature!Dark!Not BWL!Harry. Eventual HP/LV.
1. How I Met Your Mother

A/N: I should explain something first.

I've read so many HP/LV and HP/TMR's and most all of them turn Harry into a dark! Intelligent! Wizard – not that I don't like those but I think Harry, even if Dark, has to go through the troubles of normal life, struggling with life, classes, people. Here, Harry is a boy, who like some, has procrastination problems, a quick temper under a facade of calm, and a strong dislike for prejudice.

I absolutely adore fics like Athey's (Descent to Darkness, anyone?); however, this Harry, my Harry, while brilliant, has to grapple with the reality of war, his own dark urges, and sense of belonging. I think stories where Harry immediately understands to get a spell are wonderful and fulfilling, but his path to success seems unobtainable by us readers.

Is it too big of a goal to try to write something where my readers will say "Oh, I sometimes don't do my math homework like he doesn't do Potions. Haha, but he's trying now" and inspire them? It's a bit naïve, isn't it. I know, but I can't help it. Besides, this story's not only for you, the reader, but it serves as an outlet for me. It's more than an imaginary hodgepodge of dark seduction and a one-sided triumph for the deliciously cynical and secretly sinister. (It can't be Joker all the time; think of this as a lovechild of Joker-Batman.) Here, Harry will rise and fall like ocean waves and crash and tumble just the same.

That is why Harry Potter is not Harry Potter, but Harrien Portugas for now. Out of my own selfishness, I will give him a beautiful childhood, full of stars and smiles, and only later can I allow him to spiral down into the black void.

Disillusioned, this older Harry survives only by pursuing happiness despite the death toll and hurt and cruelty. And thus is the story of a boy who evolves from an innocent boy to a bewildered adolescent to an out-of-control and sadistic young adult to something in between and something happy towards the end.

Haha. Now, I've laid my bones bare and told you all my plans. Will you still stay and read?

If so, bear with me and enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 1

How I Met Your Mother

* * *

"Can you tell me how you met mamá?" a young boy asked. The boy, with his fingers curled up into the dark skirt of his mamá, laid on an old couch in the middle of the living room. Two armchairs sat on either side of the couch and all three pieces of furniture faced the fireplace. The living room was dim but cozy. The fire burned slowly and it was past bedtime.

"Oh, you heard that story many times already, hijo," his mamá admonished playfully with a light, almost undetectable Spanish accent, "Es muy tarde, hijo. Time for bed." However, she made no move to lift him up and carry him to bed or shoo him away to his bedroom.

Abruptly, the boy sprang to sit up, "Mamá! The story won't take too long. Please mamá! Please! Uncle David, you'd like to hear the story, too, right?" The boy was almost bouncing with excitement, his little fists tugging at his mamá's dress.

With unhidden amusement, the three adults in the room observed the lively face: green eyes flickering in time with the fire, pale face flushed with sleepy excitement, baby coral lips slightly ajar in preparation to refute any warnings of bedtime, thin eyebrows knit in tight, and the general determination usually lacking in an eight–year–old boy.

"Well, I would like to hear the story... _again_," the man, Uncle David, smiled. He could not refuse the boy. Even though they'd only lived together for three years, Uncle David saw the boy as his son. Uncle David sank deeper into the cushions of his arm chair, folded his hands neatly on his lap, and breathed in contently in preparation for the story.

Through a wide smile, the boy's mamá peered at her darling spouse who sat in the other armchair and remarked, "Well, we cannot deny _Uncle David_ anything. Darling, please go ahead. You tell it best."

As his other parent sat straighter up in the armchair, the young boy whooped for joy. It wasn't that he didn't want to go to sleep, but he wanted to hear his parents' story. He loved that story. He thought that the way his parents met was the most romantic and happy story that he'd ever heard (even if he'd heard it about a thousand times before).

"Very well. I will tell you the story of how I came to meet your mother, Rosea Astrid Portugas… It started with a storm in the Mediterranean Sea, off the shore of Greece. In the storm, there sailed a tiny, tiny boat–"

"Now, honey, no need to be demeaning. It was a large galleon not a 'tiny, tiny' boat as you put it," Rosea smirked. The boy had heard this bantering over a thousand times, now. Closing his eyes to imagine the story, the young boy snuggled back into the couch and into his mamá's lap.

"Tiny in respect to the large, large sea, beloved…"

– – –

The sea was indeed large and the ship was indeed too small in comparison. The tumulus sea swatted the galleon this-and-that way as a donkey's tail offhandedly swatted mosquitos during the summer. The screaming on the ship had long subsided for only one person remained on deck, clinging onto the wooden planks, too scared to let go. Slowly, the sea siphoned her energy with enormous waves, lighting, and rain as fast as bullets. She'd lost her wand eons ago and even if she'd keep it, nothing could prevent the sea from taking the ship. The captain, her father, the rest of the sailors had been thrown overboard long ago; the sea had commandeered the merchant galleon and tried to shake off the sole pest that still clung for life. _Foolish child!_ the sea seemed to roar as it made a game of tossing the girl into the sea.

Poor little girl, she was but one child facing Neptune and his hundreds of followers. She felt desperate and hopeless in the middle of the Mediterranean with no foreseeable rescue. Without hope now, she cried because of the salt in her eyes, because she was only seventeen, because she should have listened to her mother, and because she wanted to live.

Minutes ago, she had accepted her death, but the more she thought about her life, her sheltered life, she did not want to die. She, soon to be Mrs. Lucius Malfoy, had begged her father to, for once in his life, allow her to come to sea with him. This was her last time to be free and instead of freedom, she was riding headfirst into death.

Crying out in one last attempt to fight the sea, she howled against the wind, "I want to live! I want freedom! I don't want to be a pureblood wife. I don't want to chat with other wives over inane topics like the weather over tea. I don't want to smile at parties I never wanted to attend. I want to marry for love! I want to travel and see the world! I want to meet muggles and see how they live! I want to dance in places I'm not supposed to and eat things that look disgusting! I want to be able to cry in public and swear and punch somebody I hate in the face! I want to be freer than my mother and father! Oh, Merlin! What I would give to be free and happy! And alive!" She hooted out laughter. "Alive, free, and happy! Merlin, I want it all!"

Closing her eyes, she laughed once more and fell unconscious. Happily, the sea swept her away.

–

When she woke up, the sun had already burned a considerable redness into her apricot skin. Lying face up, she felt her back ache. She had been laying on some sort of rock. Not bothering to get up, especially with her intense headache, she looked to her right and saw rugged beige rock and blue sea beyond that. The sea collided onto the rocks with a gentleness that it hadn't provided during the storm. She lay a few meters away from the water, on the bumpy stone. For a few moments, she spent a long time looking into the sea, waiting for the tears that never came. She was alone, as far as she could tell. Alone in a foreign land. Her father and his crew probably dead. She closed her eyes, for a moment wishing that she, too, were dead. She didn't want to be alone, left to starve on this godforsaken rock.

She opened her eyes once more. The maelstrom of thoughts subsided into a fierce determination to go back home. She began to sit upright, although her body protested aggressively. She ached everywhere. Tipping her head to the sky, she had to squint under the balmy sun. Above her hung a few slivers of clouds and the ever brightening sun. She inspected her body briefly and none of her limbs were gone or thoroughly bloody. There were many sickening bruises and small scratches that went white from having been subjected to sea salt. Her dress, tatters. She was thankful for that since she could move better without the heavy, over-adorned dress. The bottom of the tress had slits all over, which made it easier to run if need be. Her corset had been swept away with the ship. Only a raggedy, dirty undershirt remained. She'd never been allowed to dress as freely in her own home. She laughed quietly and not without a bitter edge, "Small mercies."

Turning clockwise, she saw a forest of odd trees behind her. Because of all the leaves and brush, she couldn't really see how far the forest extended. From where she was sitting, she discerned that the rocky surface gave way to a sandy beach in some distance.

Then, she turned to her left...

At first, she couldn't really make it out, but as she squinted, in the distance she could see it was a living thing, not just a mirage or an odd colored rock. It was a curious blue creature. The blue creature seemed to be observing her, for it just sat there, a hundred meters away, unmoving but obviously facing her. She didn't really want to scare the poor creature. It looked so small and harmless from where she sat. Unfortunately, the creature noticed that she was staring back; it seemed to jump in surprise. Perhaps it was a pet of somebody who lived on the island or maybe a sentient, magical creature.

The girl did not know what to do: Should she approach the creature –it was, after all, the only sign of life she could see. Or should she wait until it approached her –if it ever did so. She could play coy and wait for the creature to inch closer, but under these circumstances, in which she had no food, no drink, no rescue, the girl decided that she would need to throw her pride and caution to the wind and get a little desperate. The girl sat up more upright, ignoring the pain at her side. Then, she pushed up with her arms to stand up. Even standing up seemed strenuous to her body.

The creature, seeing the girl trying to stand up, became , it did not move yet, probably because it did not sense any danger from her. Taking that as a good sign, the girl took shaky steps towards the creature. Initially, the creature just crouched where it was but as the girl got closer, it stood up to start backing away. Standing up, the creature was taller than the girl (who was by no means short in the first place –she was about 180 cm); the girl realized that this humanoid creature was probably an adult and not a child as she had thought. The creature stood on two legs; it was blue with deep cobalt skin and a simply-cut grey dress on. _It must be a girl_, she concluded_, and it must be a magical beast. Perhaps I can get it to help me_.

Before it could move away, however, the girl stopped and held out her palm in an universal "stop" sign. "Please wait! I don't mean to disturb you! I'm not sure if you can understand me, but I honestly do not mean harm. My father's boat … crashed some distance from here. I'm lost and probably going to die if I stay here by myself. You are the first living thing that I've seen since I've woken up (granted, I haven't been awake for but a few minutes), but I beg you please do not leave me. My wand is lost, my father is most likely dead, and I will probably soon follow him and the crewmates. At least… at least the very elast, I would like some company." Her voice was hoarse. The tears that hadn't come before now came easily. Putting a trembling hand over her quivering lips as the tears streamed steadily from her eyes, the girl squatted down, hugging her knees.

"I'm so lost. Please. I don't expect anything from you. I won't hurt you and I hope you'll extend the same courtesy. Please just stay," the girl continued without looking up, "I thought that this trip would take me away from my responsibilities as the only daughter, the only child of a pureblood family. I didn't want to marry Lucius. He's a good acquaintance, but he much more fitted with Narcissa. I thought that this would be my one chance of freedom before I had to be locked in a world I had not entirely felt right in. My mother begged me to stay at home. I refused with as much politeness as I was taught to. Of course, I had to. That was the pureblood way… Damn the purebloods! I'm so sorry. I'm ranting nonsense. You probably don't care for my problems even if could understand what I'm saying."

The girl looked up from her knees to find the blue creature –the blue girl creature– standing in front of her with a face of sympathy. The blue girl-creature kneeled down beside the girl as she carried on her story. Now, that the girl-creature was closer, the girl noticed that the creature had cobalt skin that looked more like down feathers than skin, dark sea green hair, and white eyes. The creature also had a sort of look of mystery about them. It was a beautiful thing, nothing like the girl'd ever seen. The creature contained humanoid features. Except for the skin, it had arms, legs, a face –one of the most beautiful the girl'd ever seen– feet, hands, breasts, everything. The creature had a small face with wavy, soft hair and classically beautiful features. It's body was not overly skinny but plump enough to look voluptuous while retaining elegance.

"I'm so sorry," the girl half-smiled, "I don't usually do this. I'm usually so proper and lady-like." The creature tilted its head as if to say _Yea. So?_

The girl laughed, "I guess it wouldn't matter while I'm here. But, you see, it's been ingrained in me ever since I was small. It's the 'pureblood way' my mother always said. I think it's bollocks. Why can't pureblood wizards be both facially expressive and powerful? Mother says I'm too young to understand, but I don't think I ever will. And if I do, then I'd have lost myself along the way." Pausing, the girl watched the creature as it watched her. With its head resting on its arms, in a similar crouching position as she, the creature observed her attentively. The girl didn't, at first, register that the creature had opened its mouth. When she did, she realized that it probably could speak; she knew it was some sort of magical creature, but she just did not know which kind.

Out of its mouth came a _sreeeeeckkk!_ and the girl had to cover her ears quickly, toppling over. The creature quickly clasped a hand over its mouth, surprised itself. Then, the creature gingerly put its hands over the girl's and coaxed the hands down.

"I am deeply apologizing," the creature said with an archaic flourish. It had a surprisingly soothing voice, mellow and cool; there was a subtle echo, too. "I forget often that normal human wizards do not know Mermish. I just assumed because you say you are a wizard and not a non-magical human."

The girl only gaped at the creature; she did not honestly believe that she would be so lucky to find a creature that knew English. She blushed when she realized she was staring and quickly adverted her eyes to the ground.

"It's okay. Um… " the girl hesitated, not knowing what to say, "What are you?"

The creature tilted its head again, "I am a siren of the sea. Surely, wizarding kind know about us?"

The girl shook her head, "I mean, yes, but not much is known. We know mermaids. In fact, Hogwarts has mermaids in its lake, but not many have ever seen a siren. Moreover, not many books have any descriptions beyond a brief "Sirens are a type of mermaid" before."

The creature looked at her thoughtfully, "I see." It then continued to stare at her without blinking and without talking. The girl fidgeted under her gaze, her head running in circles to think of something to say.

"Umm... so what is your name? Do you have a name? Are you a girl?" the girl paused, wincing at her own questions, "I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry."

To the girl's astonishment, the creature chuckled and when it did, it sounded like raindrops. "Wizarding people are so amusing. I do have a name and almost all sirens are female as am I. My name is Llange. Though I do not know of your name, yet."

"Oh! Yes, of course. I'm so sorry for not introducing myself earlier." At this, the creature –Llange– laughed; at the sound of Llange's laugh, the girl bristled and flushed.

"Wizarding folk. You have no need to be so apologizing. I am sure that our customs have no match for your customs. In our customs, it is not uncommon to not give names until we learn of a stranger's character."

"Oh. Okay," the girl said dumbly and inwardly hit herself for how dumb she sounded, "Well, I am Rosea Astrid Portugas, heir to the Portugas line." Immediately, Rosea's throat tightened when she remembered that she might already be the head of her house.

"What is wrong, wizarding folk Rosea?" Though Llange said Rosea more like "Rah-_cei_-a" than the "Ro-cé-a" it was supposed to sound like. Rosea smiled tightly at her name, but soon buried her face into her arms once more.

"I am so sorry Llange. I must be confusing you. A thought just appeared in my head that my father might be dead; therefore, I am no longer the heir but the head of the house now... I should explain, shouldn't I? In the wizarding world, if the head of the household dies, the title immediately passes onto the first child if the child is of age; if the child is not of age, the title temporarily falls under the spouse's responsibility. Because the spouse does not actually have the line's blood, the title is regained by the child when he or she turns seventeen. I'm sorry if this is all confusing."

"No. I understand. It is much like our world. If the leader _amwi_ dies, then the children and siblings of _amwi_ must fight to test who is the strongest and test to who can lead the colony. Then the strongest will be _amwi_. It is the same, only you do not have to fight amongst your siblings?"

"Oh. I have no siblings to fight over with; though in families that do, usually, it's just the eldest son," Rosea smiled, lifting her head at Llange. Llange made a face of disbelief.

"No siblings? How does the wizarding kind not dwindle and die?"

"That's been a sore issue in the wizarding world. You see, the wizarding world is in the middle of a war as we speak, warring over not only the fact that wizards numbers are dwindling but also the purity of the blood and how we will associate with muggles –that's people without magic. Personally, I think the purity thing is bollocks but the other issues are quite alarming and should be dealt with." Rosea frowned. Should she be making small talk by talking of thewar in Britain? Surely, the siren didn't care.

"The wizarding world is in a war?"

"Well... only the British wizards are."

"I see. So you are in war, on a side of the war?" Llange's face darkened slightly, but Rosea had looked away into the horizon before she could see.

"No. I am not. I agree with the ideals on one side, but I am too scared to join the battle. And I do not wish to. War is... Too many of my friends are in war and I hate it, but so many people say 'war is necessary.' I wish it wasn't. War is evil and it is destruction. I wish everything could be settled in a peaceful way. I do not think this had to come to war, but with the Dark Lord..." Rosea trailed off solemnly. Llange took both of Rosea's hands into hers. Llange's hands were warm, feathery, and gentle. Rosea looked into Llange's softened eyes.

"I agree. Our colonies –mine and our cousins, the _kiios_– been at battle also for decades now over a simple misunderstanding that neither side cares for anymore. Most of my sisters believe that this war is just, but I do not. Too many of my sisters have perished. I do not know who 'Dark Lord' is but my _amwi_ led us into war ages ago, and it is too late to stop. Had you said you liked the idea of war, I might have snapped your throat," Rosea flinched, "but do not be alarmed. I will not," Llange chuckled, "You and I are too alike. We are idealists in a world of cynicals."

"I see. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Rosea grimaced.

"Do not apologizing. I understand your feelings well."

"I'm sorry for saying this... and for saying sorry again. May I ask what the misunderstanding was that started the war?"

Llange smiled bitterly, "It was a stupid, stupid mistake. We, the _leiwiin_, and the _kiios_ have been cousins for many generations before the war. It has always brought about prosperity for the _kiios_ live closer to shore and the _leiwiin_ live in the middle of the storms and seas. Trade was very easy that way. We can get things that come only from deep seas and the _kiios _will remind sailors to come our way. But the difference between the _kiios_ and the _leiwiin_ greatly differ... especially in customs and heritage. In your storybooks what do they say on sirens?"

Rosea thought about this for a moment, recalling Care of Magical Creatures. "Well... they say sirens look much like harpies. The arms are wings. The feet are talons. Faces are beaks. Much like mermaids, too. Purple hair. Grey skin. Good swimmers. Which is why I am so surprised that you look the way you do."

"Yes. That is a good description of the _kiios_. They are closer to shore. More people have seen them. The _kiios _cannot change their appearance and their ancestors come from sea birds and hawks. They originate from Greece in ancient times. However, the _leiwiin_ are more closely related to the Nagi and our ancestors originate in the orient. We can also change to have wings and talons, but we cannot change our faces into beaks as our ancestors more closely tied with sea serpents. My blue skin is a testament. The _kiios_ have been jealous of our beauty and our magic for so long, and the _leiwiin _have been jealous of their territory and their fierceness.

"The _kiios _are born hunters and warriors. We are born scavengers and a tranquil colony. The _kiios _would have exterminated us long ago had we not had a powerful gift from our ancestors. The _leiwiin_ have a protective poison in their bodies which makes it hard to touch and be near, but we are tranquil most of the time. We do not like attack. We only like defense.

"Many of my generation _leiwiin_ have wanted to be on the offense from now on, but the elders think it not wise and rightly so. The _leiwiin_ are not powerful. We cannot stand physical attacks and die easily. And the _kiios_ easily kill us without trying. We have gone offense many times, but it is hard for our weak nature. Our magic is quite strong, but we cannot defend against harpoons and metal, spelled to destroy our shields. Our poison that can become gas makes them stay back, but many of us have to create it at the same time for effectiveness and afterwards we are very weak. Also, spears can penetrate poison gas. We can only run before their weapons hit us. And we have run into the sea and the _kiios_ cannot follow very far. They cannot survive in the wildness of this sea, but the _leiwiin_ can for we understand the chaos out here."

"I see... but how was it that the war started?"

"Ah. I am forgetting the prime reason of this story. The _leiwiin_ understand the chaos of the sea but there are not many things here to eat and places to sleep. The younger _leiwiin _wish for the stability the territory the _kiios_ have. They forget we are weak physically. In a magical duel, we can defeat the _kiios_ but they forget, the _kiios _are too smart to challenge us to a magical duel. They know how to strategize and kill us off one by one with weapons made of metal or rock.

"Decades ago, the last old _amwi_ was overthrown by the current _amwi_ and the _amwi_ now started the war on behalf of the younger _leiwiin _for she was young herself. Powerful in all rights, but young and foolish. How she started the war was a terrible accident.

"She arrived at an annual meeting between the all the colonies, the _leiwiin, _the _kiios_, the _alliv, _the _mwasen_, the _junsei_, and the _huweix_. The _junsei_ and the _huweix_ locate from the orient. The _alliv_ and the _mwasen _locate from the the Americas. That is all the colonies in the world except the _Ylia_, who are from the snowy north and the _Zlia_ from the snowy south. Those two colonies keep to themselves and converse only to each other. They are sister colonies and their constituents travel north to south pole often with ease and no fear of stealing territory. No one has ever seen the _Ylia_ or the _Zlia _in over two centuries.

"In any case, the _amwi_ of our _leiwiin_ demanded more territory from the _kiios_ and the _kiios_ said no. They had said no because of a misunderstanding that began a few months ago. There was a monster that had been terrorizing the seas around the _kiios_ lands. The _kiios_ swore that they saw a giant serpent, and knowing our natural affinity and connections with serpents, they saw us in blame. While we can speak to serpents, we had never met a giant serpent described to us by them. They said the serpent spread poison onto the seas around the _kiios_ so that all the fish died and none of the merchants dared traveling in the waters to trade with the _kiios_. Instead, traders came to the _leiwiin_ islands.

"The _kiios_ believed it to be a plot against them. We, however, were growing in number and we needed more lands for our new sisters. Even with the increased trading, more than anything, we needed land for the growing population. We had no need for trade. We needed territory.

"Moreover, we did not know of the serpent. So, the meeting ended and we were not able to convince the _kiios_ that the serpent was not ours. A few months later, we found an island near the _kiios_ territory that contained poisoned trees. It was a poison that spread through the air and in the water. We believed that this to be the cause of the poisoned waters and dead fish and lackening trading for the _kiios. _We, who have poison in our blood, were immune to the poison.

"In the meeting that year, we explained how we destroyed an island containing poisoned trees and that the poison should no longer affect them. The _amwi_ for the _kiios _stood up and yelled at our _amwi_, 'You were the ones who destroyed our island!' We told them yes. We were very confused why they were angry.

"The _kiios amwi_ then yelled, "If there was poison in the islands, why were you not affected?'

"We replied, 'Because we have poison in our veins. Fire cannot be used to destroy fire just as poison cannot destroy poison.'

"The _kiios amwi_ cried, "A snake cannot be affected by its own poison! Neptune, may he have fury on you! You were the ones who caused the poison in the first place!'

"Our _amwi _stood up in defense, 'No, _kiios_ cousin. We were not. We would never!'

"The _kiios_ replied, "Of course. It was you. I should never have made a pact with you! For shame, _leiwiin_ cousin. You have always wanted our trade. You took it. The pact is broken. We will not help you gain trade any longer. War is commenced.' Then, the _kiios amwi_ got up and left and the war began.

"The friend of the _kiios amwi_, the _alliv_ _amwi_ from North America told us, 'The _kiios _have always been jealous of your beauty and your magic. They have started war because they are jealous. This may just be an excuse. I am ashamed that my friend acts this way. The _kiios_ are the _alliv's_ friends no more.'

"So, angered, we, the _leiwiin_ went to war as well because the _kiios _reasoning for war was so incredibly foolish and unbased. Our _amwi_, when she came home, told us, 'We are at war with the _kiios_ from today. We have helped them a great duty by killing the poison trees but they repay us with jealousy and spite. They have announced war against us. They threaten to take our trade and without trade we cannot survive! We, although not warriors of _kiios_, are not weak! We will go to war!'

"The war was so easily started. Just like that," Llange finished, her eyes vacant.

"By Merlin, the _kiios _sound so sincerely disturbed. When your people have saved their lives and livelihood, too!" Rosea exclaimed, pulling Llange out of her own thoughts. It seemed that Llange had forgotten where she was or who'd she'd been talking to.

"Yes. There was a saying going around that the _kiios _planted the poison in the trees by themselves and used it as an excuse for war. I do not think so. The _kiios_ as I remembered them were beings of the most courageous and sincere type. They had a code of honor they never went without, and they respected their ancestors with feasts and holidays. They were humble and held so much integrity... however, I cannot explain why they acted as they did. I only know the war began with such a horrid misconduct."

"They sound like Gryffindors... I don't understand why your people will not just talk to the _kiios_ and sort this all out."

"They have stopped responding to our messages long ago. We try to tell them that the island was poisonous and we were only trying to help, not gain territory. They will not listen. And what is more is that many of the new _leiwiin_ do not even remember why the war had started. They only know that the _kiios_ are our enemies. Most have forgotten that the _kiios _are still our cousins and that neither of us are in the wrong. I am in a minority with no say. None of my sisters will listen to me. Only my brother does and he has no more authority than I do. My _amwi _has stopped listening to my pleas decades ago. I only wait for the rest of my colony wake up or become extinct."

As Llange finished, an uncomfortable silence permeated the atmosphere. Rosea did not know what to say or how to console Llange. She knew that there was no point in saying anything that she didn't mean like "It'll be fine" or "I understand." Llange had talked about her war; even if she didn't want to, Rosea saw it only fit to tell Llange about the wizarding war.

"Well, our war started with a man. You see, the wizarding world in Britain is very Light magic. Dark wizards like myself do not have much rights and we cannot practice our magic. Our Dark magic is considered to be evil."

"That is not right. Dark magic is no less evil than Light magic. Only different," Llange commented, eagerly listening to Rosea either to get her mind off of her war or because she was genuinely interested.

"Yes. I know, but our ministry, which is our leader, our _aamwee,_" Rosea paused and Llange giggled a little at the mispronunciation, "our ministry abhors anything Dark. We do not have many rights for Dark wizards or Dark creatures. My mother has been begging my father for us to go back to live in Spain as we had in my childhood, but my father refused, saying that Britain was his home and as much as he'd loved Spain, Britain was were he shall remain.

"Suffice to say, our family suffered some prejudice but our family was a strong line of purebloods with much influence and money. Do you know of purebloods?" Rosea asked and Llange shook her head. "Purebloods are those with only wizard ancestors. For instance, if one's parents were both muggles, one is a 'mudblood' which is a derogatory term for muggle-born. They are looked down on because of their heritage. This is somewhat entitled, but I will get to that in further discussion.

"If one parent has been born of magical blood and the other was born a muggle-born, then the child is a 'half-blood.' Purebloods generally consider only pureblood ancestry to be the strongest. And while it is true that some muggle-borns are weaker, some are stronger as well. I had a classmate, a halfblood, but he is a hell'a wizard not to mention potions genius."

"Anyhow, here is where it gets tricky. The Light wizards in Britain want to establish a better relations with the muggles. Their laws of how to handle muggle-borns or muggles in knowledge of the wizarding world are lax. For instance, a wizarding child with no wizarding parents must stay in the muggle world without aid or explanation for his or her random magics."

"But they are only children! Surely, muggles will think it weird for normal child to do things that they cannot explain. I remember one man I once met. He wore black with a square of white at his collar. He looked old. The traders, who knew of siren-kind, told him to stay in behind the wood. I had glamours on myself, but my brother had not put any on. He was too young, only ten years old at the time. The old human did not listen to the traders. He came out when I was conversing to a trader, and he saw my brother. He started yelling and threw water at my brother. Ridiculous. Throwing water at a siren. After, he took out a metal stick and pointed the thing at my brother. The traders jumped on him and he was beaten, carried inside. Later, I found that the metal was a weapon. One that would hurt. Surely, non-magic normals would do no worse to a child. That man had the ruthlessness to point a weapon at a child, siren or not."

"I agree. The society in Spain talked of muggle intolerance often. Nevertheless, the Light do not believe so. They think muggles are less harmless than flies." Llange snorted derisively. Rosea shot her a half-smirk.

"Anyhow... there is no real punishment for practicing magic in the muggle world; most people just know not to do it, but the ministry is loathe to hand out punishments. If you belong to a Light family, they merely give you a slap on the wrist and admonish you not to do magic in front of muggles. If you belong to a Dark family, the ministry assumes you were trying to punish muggles for something. The ministry punishes Dark families much more severely although most Dark families hate to go near muggles so not many punishments are doled out.

"Of course, if one breaks the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy so many times, the ministry will be forced to do something. Do you know that some of our wizards actually want to let Muggles in on our magic? Carlotta Pinkstone is a famous example. She would perform magic in front of muggles. Her slogan was 'Stop Magical Suppression.' It took repeat offenses against the Statute for the ministry to toss her into Azkaban –a wizard prison. And then Professor Charity Burbage was killed recently for wanting wizard blood to diminish. She loved all muggle things so much."

"That is horrid and selfish of them to do so. For one person's ideals, they would sacrifice the rest of the wizarding world?"

"I know. The muggles would never accept us. They'd kill us if they could and I think they could."

"Yes. I've seen their new weapons. What they call guns –the metal stick. Their weapons, the _kiios_ and the traders have used them, have killed many my sisters."

"Yes. I have heard of them while I was in Spain. In Spain, the Dark families talk of muggle weapons because even if they have no weapons, there are too many of them. Most of Europe believe in the "Know thy enemy" policy. In Spain, the threat of being found out is very important. Their punishments range from fines to public humiliation to prison, depending on how bad the offense was. Britain is too lax."

"So the war was over that? The Light wanted to be with muggles and the Dark wanted to secure the future for the rest of wizarding society?"

"You make it sound so simple. If only the Light saw it that way as well. They make it seem like we want to destroy all muggles and muggle-borns. No! We only want stricter laws to assure that a) Wizards will never be found out and b) that the magic blood doesn't get diluted to the point where we all become squibs –that's the purebloods' worst fear. They figure that they muggle-borns will dilute the magic in the blood. Yes, sometimes the muggle-borns turn out powerful or average, but there are muggle-borns every now and then that are much below average. Granted there are some purebloods much below average, but in the whole scheme of things, the purebloods know, for the most part, wizards will produce wizards; therefore, why take chances with muggles or muggle-borns?"

"Seems reasonable."

"For the most part, I agree. However, I also agree that muggle-borns add change into the gene pool, which purebloods so desperately need. Either muggle-borns, magical creatures such as veelas, or purebloods from other countries. Magical creatures do not often breed with wizards; most wizards don't like going out of their comfort zone and breed with other European lines as my family did. My father's family was originally from Spain but grew up in England. My mother is one hundred percent pureblood Spanish though she knows better English than some of my classmates do. A thick accent, though.

"My point is that I do not believe that we should destroy all muggle-borns. In some sense, they are useful to widen our gene pool, but they are also a threat if they or their muggle family members successfully convinces the muggle world that we are here. The muggles will think us a viable threat and decimate us. So we have to gain the complete trust of the muggle-borns and teach the wizarding world that we need to be aware that muggles are dangerous. The reason why so many Light wizards want to assimilate into muggle culture is that they do not realize what xenophobes muggles are. That and they do not realize how powerful they can be. The Light wizards think them harmless buggers who enjoy peace. Wrong on both accounts. So wrong."

"Yes. Their wars have shaken our lands many times. Did you know they can fly now? Humans can fly without magic."

"Oh yes. My family has discussed the various innovations that muggles have developed. Wizards must be wary. They must. So, this is where the Dark Lord comes in."

"Dark Lord?"

"Yes, the Dark Lord Voldemort. He is the most powerful Dark wizard to come about in centuries. He agrees in most of my ideals and is very powerful. I consider myself to be a strong Dark witch, but my magic is but a spit in the sea compared to his vast knowledge of the Dark Arts. I swear, he could have turned the country around through politics alone."

"I am assuming he did no such thing."

"No. Although our ideals are very similar, he wants a revolution and revolution calls for blood. I wanted a means to the end by change without violence. The Dark Lord has a thirst for power and respect, and he does not realize that respect cannot be given by fear. I do not think he is aware of respect through admiration and love. Also, he does not want the destruction of all non-purebloods –my father told me that the Dark Lord is a half-blood himself– but to gain followers, he had to agree to the slaughter of muggle-borns. He is in a precarious situation. He knows the need for new genes, but cannot loose his followers."

"I see."

"Yes. And I am in going into my seventh of Hogwarts –or _was_ going to go. My fiance, a Mister Lucius Malfoy, one of my good... acquaintances, wanted to follow the Dark Lord. That meant that once we were married, which will be almost immediately after I graduate from Hogwarts, I also would have to follow the Dark Lord even though I do not wish to have any part in the war. When I go back, I'll have to do all of that."

"Then why go back at all?"

Rosea gasped at Llange with wide eyes, "I don't know. I hadn't thought of such an idea: To not go back? The notion hadn't crossed my mind. I have many responsibilities... and my mother. My poor mother… I don't know, Llange. I don't know. I want to. I did come on this trip to get away from it all though. I don't quite understand why I feel like I need to go back..." Rosea sighed, sadly.

"Perhaps you, being so long taught to uphold responsibility, feel the need to go back. It may not be what you want, but for so long you know no other way to act."

"Perhaps." Once more, the two girls lapsed back into silence. Rosea had a whole avalanche of questions to ask Llange, but didn't know how to bring them up as they were not quite pertinent to the previous conversation.

She waited too long, for just as she was about to ask her first question, a flap of wings sounded behind her and as she turned around, Rosea found another siren standing there with a bag filled with sundry items, hanging around his neck. The siren, this one, was obviously a boy. He had on no shirt and only some sort of loincloth. He eyed Rosea warily, but otherwise disregarded her.

He started jabbering in a language that was not Mermish (it didn't sound like screeching), but was obviously the siren language. There were many lisps and hisses as well as rolling "l"s and generally musical sounds. The Siren language, Rosea decided, was a beautiful language.

"Kiene-un. We are in front of a guest," Llange gently motioned at Rosea.

"Ah. Please... Folgive me. Um. My Engrish not best in class. I'm my name Kiene. I am brother of Llange-an. I have come just from wreckage in south of island. Um... The ship sinking to floor. Um... I found junk many in ship. Many magical junk, too. Um –"

"The ship south of here?" Kiene nodded and jerked his head behind him.

"Do you think?" Rosea stared at Llange, "Do you think that was my ship?"

Llange nodded, "I think so. Kiene-un were there any survivors?" Kiene shook his head. Rosea lowered hers, clasped her hands together in start of a farewell to her father.

"Kiene-un, what have you scavenged?" Llange asked.

"Well... I find some silver and metalware that the _amwi_ will like and can trade at human market. Also some shiny colors and some magic sticks," Kiene chattered as he placed the objects on the ground.

"Oh! My wand! And fathers!" Rosea lunged for the two out of five wands Kiene brought out from his bag, but abruptly stopped when Kiene hissed, barring his many sharp teeth.

"_Anine! Kiene-un anine!_ This is my guest. These are her things. She was the last survivor of the sunken ship. Now, let her have her things," Llange bit back and Kiene suddenly looked very much like a child.

"_Oba Llange-an_. My deepest apologizings, guest," Kiene lowered his head.

"Ah. Really, no worries. Misunderstanding, that was," Rosea smiled warmly. Seeing this, Kiene grinned back.

"Oh. Ok. _Tion-nin._ Meaning 'Thanks to you' in Engrish. Please pick what is belonging to you."

Rosea nodded and took the two wands, hers (12 inch, Bloodwood –perfect for Divination and healing and love magic although inclined to Dark and protective magic, Ashwinder Ash core –best for protection charms, supple, smooth) and her fathers (10 inch, Ash –stubborn but loyal, Dragon heartstring core, pliant, decorative) Then, she looked over at the jewelry and breathed in deeply.

"What is wrong, Rosea?"

Rosea shook her head as she continued to stare at her mother's bracelet. It was a gold bracelet grooved with diamond shaped scales and large garnet teardrops every half of a centimeter away. Its eyes were black opal.

"What, is bracelet also belonging to you? I had hoped to bring to _amwi _because she would like very much. Can I give it to her?" Kiene whined a little.

"No, I am sorry Kiene, but this bracelet is a family heirloom from my mother's side. It's said to protect against bad luck. Please let me take this. I think my mother snuck it into my belongings to make sure I was safe. It's invaluable to her and to me," Rosea told Kiene with tearful eyes. Seeing the bracelet just reinforced the gravity of the whole situation. It also reminded her of her mother, who probably, by now, had seen her father's name disappearing from the family tree. Although a strong woman, her mother was still alone. For a small moment in time, she had thought that she could just stay on this island forever, but the reality was that eventually she had to go back. Her own impotency frustrating her. She wished she _could_ just run away from the war, the marriage, everything. Silent tears fell from her eyes before she ever noticed.

Having lived with stoic and determined sirens for most of his life, this was the first time Kiene had seen a woman cry and he could not help but feel uncomfortable and helpless. Kiene, too, had many sisters die before, but he had never been the sole survivor. He imagined what it would be like if he was the last siren of his colony and sympathized with the girl.

"Of course, of course, guest. It is yours in the first time," Kiene murmured, standing stiffly. Llange, on the other hand, pulled Rosea in an embrace; Llange could feel the shock and pain of coming into terms with death that Rosea felt. She knew the feeling and could sympathize from the times many of her own sisters died –although she never shed tears, her heart had still felt pain.

The warmness of Llange's arms and chest soothed Rosea until she no longer sobbed but the tears sprung freely.

"I am terribly sorry, Llange. I must seem like an utter mess. Please know that I almost never ever act so indecently," Rosea blathered on without much thought. Llange caressed Rosea's back with slow circles of her thumbs and pulled Rosea closer.

"Do not apologizing any more. I refuse to let you apologizing for things out of your control. Now, just relax, Rosea. Relax," Llange breathed then turned to Kiene, "_Tion-wi, Kiene-un. Pasei ol flwir._"

"_Tion-nin, Llange-an. _I will arrive again next week. Please be well until the next time. You have exile only two more months," Kiene beamed. His wings morphed from where his arms were and then he took off, leaving as quickly as he came.

Sniffling a little bit and locking her emotions away, Rosea grasped Llange's upper arms, "Exile? And what did you say in Siren? I thought Thank you was 'Tee-on neen.' And who was that just now?"

"You look better now," Llange smiled heartedly, "Yes, _Tion-nin _is 'Thank you' but only towards those you respect and are older than you. _Tion-wi_ is for your peers and those who are younger than you. _Tion_ is what you say to family and lovers. _Tion-ai_ is specific to lovers and decendants."

"Now, exile? And who was that? And what's with Llange-_an. _And that last thing you said?" The question wouldn't stop shotgunning out of Rosea's mouth. She looked down, embarrassed, feeling like a five year old in Diagon Alley for her first time.

"Kiene is my brother. Remember when I told you only one person believed in the same beliefs as I; that is he, Kiene. The -_an_ is an honorific. You use it for people you respect. Like _tion-nin_ for people you respect, -an is a form of respect. -un is for underclass people, those younger for instance. No honorifics is to family and lovers. Although we use honorifics when speaking with other magical creatures, humans generally do not understand and it is painful to explain each time. -aon is for lovers or decendants. Finally, I said p_asei ol flwir _which directly translates as safely you fly. It is a common phrase, much like 'Godspeed' but more common."

"I see... and exile?" Rosea bit her lip; she knew Llange was stalling.

Llange hesitated, "For my beliefs, I had been sent on exile to this island for five years. I cannot leave this island. Nor do I want to, for if I do, I will be extricated from my colony forever. And a lone siren in the seas is not welcome anywhere. The only place I might have a chance to go to is the _Ylia_ or _Zlia_ and that is if I can find them."

"Five years for wanting peace? That sounds..."

"It is a very soft punishment. As you say, if only people saw it as you. They saw me as lowering morale and causing disturbance. _Amwi_ sayings are law and I did not follow law. For much less, have they killed or banished forever. I am lucky that my _amwi_ is my blood sister and childhood friend. Five years in a siren's life does not put too much of a dent in the whole expand of things."

"Still... It must be awful to be alone. If I were to choose between isolation forever and death, I might choose death," Rosea whispered, clasping Llange's hands into hers and putting them to her forehead, "Llange. May I stay here for the remainder of your exile?"

Llange laughed, "Of course. Although you might not have a choice. Even if I so wished it, I could not fly you home. I will be able to after my exile, but also, you will be allowed departure if a ship passes by before then."

"Okay then. School doesn't start for a while. I have until then to be free," Rosea smirked.

"I warn you. The sea is a vast place. Time, here, is not like on land. Time, here, crawls slowly. Infinitely more slow."

"Well, it's a good thing I have good company then."

"I will not deny you that," Llange grinned, "I will show you my house for almost five years."

"There's a house on this rock?"

"Of course. Nothing less for me!" Llange exclaimed while pulling Rosea up off the ground and into the forest. The forest consisted of tall, tropical trees; on the ground, there was a small trail in the dirt, tailored for one person. For three minutes, Llange tugged on Rosea's hand until they reached less dense forestry. In front of her, Rosea saw a light wooded walkway bridge, but the trees covered what was the actual house. As the long, windy walkway ended, a house made of wood came into view. It hovered about twenty meters above ground. Round in shape, with many skinny planks of wood, which were separated by about ten inches each, curving to join at the top, the house, Rosea decided, looked more like an onion than a house.

"What in the world? How...?"

"Magic, of course. Come now, wizarding child, surely you know of magic?" Llange teased at the awestruck expression that fixed itself on Rosea's face, again pulling Rosea to the house.

"You have no walls! Literally, the planks of wood don't even touch! Don't bugs get in here?" Rosea asked as she saw the space in between the planks.

"Magic, darling, magic."

The treehouse was in its own right, a small mansion. It had three tiers and a floating spiraling staircase running in the middle, each stair settled in mid air. Each tier was smaller than the first but all were quite tall. The first tier consisted of the parlor, the dining and living room, and what looked like to be the kitchen; the second tier, the library and a large arrangement of various cushions; the third tier, the master bedroom with a large futon on the floor. The third tier had more privacy (for obvious reasons –even if nobody else lived on the island, there was no need to advertise the bedroom) as it did not have the open space the lower tiers had. It had ten large round windows but otherwise, the spaces between the planks were covered by more wood.

"This really doesn't look that bad for exile," Rosea joked, an eyebrow raised high.

"It was a gift from the last _amwi_ to the current _amwi_ when the current _amwi_ succeeded her predecessor. It might look nice but it was not meant as a nice gift. This whole island is called _Sai ca Zejou_ 'Nobody's home' as it is very far from the colony. Nobody comes here so far from the colony. It is colder here too. Also, it is a sort of pun. As in when you arrive on this island there is nobody here. So when you arrive at the house, nobody is home."

"That's awfully sad, Llange," Llange nodded, "but it's okay because you have two more months here and I'll be here. So, the name is obsolete. We could say this island is called 'Soy casero"; it sounds close enough, doesn't it?"

"What does 'soi ca serjo' mean? And they are very dissimilar."

"Soy casero is a weird way of saying 'I'm home' or if you want, it could be along the lines of 'I am home-loving,' and it sounds very similar to your 'Nobody's home' in Siren, I'll have you know!"

"Soy casero: I like that very much."

Rosea nodded.

"Also, I hope you do not mind sleeping in the same bed. If you are adverse, I can go to the second tier and sleep amongst the cushions."

Rosea swatted hand, "Don't be ridiculous. I have lived in a dormitory for six years. Personal space even as a Slytherin –at least for us girls– means naught."

"Sly-de-rine? Dor-mite-torry?"

Rosea sighed and then smirked, "Ah Llange, my Llange. By the time I'm through with you, you'll have learned many things... many things."

Starting with that day, Rosea and Llange taught each other many things of their distinct customs and lives. They acted like old friends, and they laughed at each other's jokes and raced each other in the forest and on the beach. They were like children at play.

They cooked (though Rosea cheated at that with her wand) and fished (Llange cheated at that by asking some sea serpents to help her) and swam (though Llange was a siren therefore could –by definition– swim much faster than Rosea) and ate (with vigor) and read (Llange sometimes read a book aloud or read separately while sitting side by side although Rosea had to use many translation spells on the Siren books) and slept (Rosea had a nasty habit of kicking during sleep but Llange retaliated with blanket-hogging) and explored (different and interesting species, which Llange never bothered to find before, inhabited all over the island –it took two hours for a person to walk from one side of the island to the other) and fought (bantered would have been a better term) and sun bathed and bathed and cultivated a garden and tamed a small sea snake and practiced magic (Llange taught Rosea many things on wandless and nature magic) and even redecorated the house once ("It's still an onion, but what can I say? Es mi casa," Rosea remarked afterwards). Inseparable, they were.

Kiene visited weekly with news of the colony and sometimes a brought by a few days old _Daily Prophet_. Rosea sighed and usually tossed the paper away every time, wanting to just enjoy the freedom on the island with Llange while she could.

One evening, with two more weeks to the exile, Llange came up to Rosea, who was trying to squeeze in some last minute sunbathing (the sun was already setting) in a conjured wicker recliner, with a dour countenance.

"What's wrong, Llange?" Rosea asked with concerned eyes which Llange would not meet.

"Rosea. You know that a boat came by yesterday evening, right?" Llange stated more than inquired. Secretly, Rosea brightened at Llange's English which had gotten much better within weeks of being with Rosea. Llange's ability to adapt and learn was frankly astounding. She, however, couldn't get Llange to use contractions yet ("Why not chop off your hands so your arms become shorter?" Llange had said).

Rosea blinked, "What? Yea, I knew. What about it?" Rosea was very confused. Llange crouched next to her now, but still refused to make eye contact.

"Why did you not leave with them?"

"What?" Rosea was still very confused, "Why would I leave?"

"We agreed that you would leave when my exile is over unless a boat comes by, in which case you were to go on the boat."

"Eh? Who did you agree that with because I certainly never received the memo." Rosea gave Llange a famous one-eyebrow-raised _Are you kidding me? _look. Now, Llange looked up quickly at Rosea.

"But Rosea. We said so when you first arrived."

"No, Llange, darling. I said that I would stay with you for two months until your exile. You are notorious for only hearing what you want, dear."

Llange observed Rosea, her golden apricot skin, wavy, long black hair, svelte figure, and her bright green eyes. In the sunset, Rosea looked like goddess basking in radiance.

"But... Rosea. Surely, you'd want to go back to your old life and friends and wealth. You tell me of your past with such a yearning look... surely?"

Rosea planted a hand on Llange's cheek. Llange's stern expression broke into a wretched sadness. Rosea stroked under Llange's watery eyes as if to wipe away the tears that had already fallen in her mind's eyes. With a bittersweet smile, Rosea leaned closer to Llange over the recliner's armrest.

"Insolent fool. Why would I leave?" Closing her eyes, Rosea leaned further until she touched Llange's lips barely. She could feel the confusion in Llange's eyes. A silent _ehhhh?_

"You are also notorious for only seeing what you want to see," Rosea smirked and leaned again, this time Llange met her halfway.

"I apologize... for my insolence," Llange said, her mouth hanging wide open in surprise.

"Please do shut up," Rosea rolled her eyes, grabbing both sides of Llange's beautiful face and colliding with Llange's lips. Their kiss was sweet as only a girls' kiss can be. Llange held onto Rosea's arms like a lifeline. The lips were soon moving to their own rhythm. Rosea drew Llange closer as she laid back in the recliner, her fingers tangled in Llange's dark hair. Llange climped on top of Rosea, her hands pressing the recliner on either side of Rosea. They were both so warm, and then–

– – –

"Darling, darling. Enough. Keep it PG!" Rosea scolded and smacked Llange who was laughing.

"Of course, Rosea-aon," Llange laughed some more. Uncle David joined in with his own chuckling. The little boy on Rosea's lap sniggered too, more out of mirth than because he know what Rosea had insinuated. He was eight after all.

"Now, you," Rosea ruffled the boy's hair, "Off to bed with you."

"But mamá!" the boy pouted at Rosea.

"Harrien Anje Portugas. Go to bed!" Rosea mock-chatised.

Harry made the best puppy eyes he had at Rosea. She didn't budge. He then looked to Llange through his eyelashes, "_Mami! _Please can I stay up? Pretty, pretty please."

"Harry-aon. Listen to your mamá."

"You are the two most beautiful, bestest mommies that any boy could ever wish for," Harry tried again.

"Bed. Now." Rosea pointed to the door.

"Besides, kiddo, don't you have somebody to meet?" his Uncle David added. Immediately, Harry's eyes brightened.

"Of course, Uncle David! You're right! G'night all!"

The adults waved, amused at how easy it was to get Harry to bed these days.

Harry ran off to his bed room and quickly jumped in his bed. His mind was already tired from listening to the story, so he fell to sleep quite easily.

A few moments later, he sat up off the ground and peered up at the night sky. A crescent moon hung out in the open air with the visible milky way overhead. It was sometime during the autumn. Harry walked to a figure sitting under a tree. The figure was a boy huddled in a blanket.

"Hello, Tom."

* * *

**AN**: Dark sea green (Llange's hair color) is like teal. Also, I did not realize that this chapter was going to be so long. I honestly did not expect it to be. The story of the colonies is pretty important (it's not just filler) to explaining how Uncle David became _Uncle _David and how Harry is going back in time to meet Tom. Guys, trust me, I've thought this through.

Also, the Siren language. Totally made that up. I have to keep track of what I said was what now! I'm dubbing the language as "Sireen."

Obviously, next chapter is going to be about when little Harrien/Harry meets Tom. This and the 2nd chapter are the last I'm going to give on the background of Harry's family's life. Afterwards, it's going to be all Harry/Tom and Harry going to school and junk.

Llange is pronounced … well "Lange" but put a cool accent or something and there you go. The "ange" part is supposed to sound like "Angie" but without the "ie" sound. So "Ange" put a L in front of that and boom! Llange. Do some weird thing with the double ll if you want.

My bad if the honorifics were confusing. Dunno where that came from. It felt right in Sireen. It began with Llange-an, but then bam! It's a thing now

Thanks for reading!

Oh yea. This series is inspired by Oceanlab's album, "Sirens of the Sea." Expect song lyrics in later chapters.

Also, bing "amazing tree house" and the onion one and the bedroom one is in there some where.


	2. Night Sun

Sirens of the Sea

Chapter 1 recap – "Can you tell me how you met mamá?" → mamá is a pureblood Dark witch, Rocea + _mami_ is a siren, Llange → "I've got the best two mommies in the world" → "Hi, Tom" (The date is 1935. Tom is 9.)

Chapter 2 includes background on how Uncle David came to be Harry's Uncle David and on conclusion of the siren war.

– – –

2: Night Sun

– – –

"Hi Tom!" Harry again chirped at the figure, sitting on the ground, huddled in a thin, shabby moss-green cloth. Harry thought it was supposed to be a blanket; however, it seemed to have the texture, comfortability, and warmth of toilet paper. Of course, Harry knew about Tom's living conditions, and he didn't like it, not one bit. If he could, he'd grab Tom by the hand and steal him away to come and live with his family. For many months he had dreamt of that exact scenario. Sadly, it was impossible, so Harry tried to give as much comfort as he could during his time with Tom.

Breaths appearing in clouds in the chilly, autumn night, Harry thanked his own foresight in bringing a warm, fleece blanket. When Harry reached Tom, he realized that Tom was sleeping. Tom slept in a small form, keeping his legs tight into his chest with his arms stiffly wrapped around his knees and a head set lolling beside the tree trunk. Tom's face streaked with a calm, relaxed, youthful expression that Harry knew Tom rarely showed.

Kicking away some vagrant leaves and rocks, Harry sat down, squeezing between a tree root and Tom, wrapping one end of the blanket over Tom's shoulders and the other end over his. He adjusted it, assuring that it would stay in place. Then, he tucked the blanket over Tom's feet and nestled into Tom's side. Sighing contently, Harry examined the branches with a bounty of red-autumn leaves overhead swaying in tune with the swirling galaxies.

The night sky above them, full of glittering stars ("beautiful balls of gas and propelling light into the dark depths of space through atomic fusion" as Uncle David liked to say, or "sparkling gems in the dark vastness to accompany the moon as the clouds and birds accompany the sun" as his _mami_ Llange said, and frankly, Harry liked his _mami_'s version better), all of those stars always seemed so much more beautiful when he was with Tom.

With Tom, the night felt magical, special, sparkling with possibility and mystery. As Harry thought about it, Tom, himself, seem to exude endless possibilities and mystery. Tom could be everything he wanted and he would do everything with a cruel passion unlike anybody Harry had ever seen. Tom intrigued Harry as the stars to the early Arabs – as a heaven to a dying man. Tom was Harry's brilliant night sun.

Cruel, charming, spiteful and beautiful. Harry cared for Tom. Tom, with his personality flaws, seemed like an unstoppable force that Harry wanted to catch a ride on and stay with.

Tonight, Harry sat beside him, back to the ancient tree bark and pulled the blanket closer over his and Tom's shoulders. Tom was too skinny, Harry decided; as he put his cheek to Tom's shoulder, Harry felt the bone. In his sleep, Tom shivered at the contact, but the warmth soon got rid of those shivers.

Smiling, Harry gently peeled away the orphanage's blanket and rubbed Tom's cold, bare arm. He liked touching Tom since Tom was soft and since Harry knew Tom wouldn't let anybody else touch him. A long time ago, Harry had decided that everybody needed to be touched and since Tom didn't let anybody touch him, Harry would try to make up for all the touching Tom had missed out on over the years.

Harry looked at him as he slept. Harry liked Tom like this, when Tom was not scowling at the world, when he seemed like he could be a happy kid. Harry reached for Tom's hand under the blanket and just as he interlaced his fingers between Tom's, Tom woke up. Startled, Tom tried to snatch away his hand, but Harry clasped on tightly.

"Oh, Harry. It's just you," Tom gasped and visibly calmed down. He turned to Harry and smiled a gentle smile. Harry liked it when Tom smiled his sleepy-warm smile.

"Silly, Tom. At night, you're always with Harry. Always," Harry grinned wide, causing little bubbles of happiness in Tom's lungs. Tom realized, during the nine months that he'd known Harry, that he quite liked Harry's radiant nature; on anybody else, such constant smiling and animated personality felt disgustingly annoying, but on Harry, the optimism was well-suited and endearing.

"You're referring to yourself in third person. Stop it," Tom chided as he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders with his free hand, long ago accepting that Harry would never let go of his hand if Harry didn't want to. Not to say Tom was complaining.

Harry whined a little for effect before flashing some teeth and then pouted. "Tom is being mean to Harry. Harry doesn't like when Tom orders Harry around," Harry scoffed and then stuck his tongue out at Tom. Honestly, at least Tom would never get tired of the thousands of faces Harry could make in a spit second

"Well, what if I told you it makes you sound like an immature four year old with a very limited vocabulary and a predilection for narcism?" Tom rolled his eyes in a good natured fashion while Harry appeared to be affronted, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"What if Harry told Tom that Tom needs to stop reading the dictionary because he sounds high and mighty enough to start riding on clouds," Harry retorted, blowing out some air, making a white cloud in the cold. On the inside, however, Harry enjoyed bantering with Tom since he knew that this was how Tom joked –by pretending to be mean to Harry. Harry always knew that Tom would never be mean to Harry; Tom was mean sometimes, but everybody was mean _sometimes_.

Harry understood that Tom's personality programmed him to act snarky and insulting (even to Harry). On the rare occasions that Tom did hurt Harry's feelings, Tom's apology usually came in the form of Harry apologizing. Harry would say "Sorry" but both of them knew that, really, it was Tom who was saying "sorry." Odd, but Tom would always act really nice afterwards. Besides, Harry knew Tom almost never said what he really meant. And through the months, Harry had become quite the Tom-translator.

"Mm..." Tom put his lips against the blanket in thought, "I do like the sound of that: Riding on clouds. Sounds like a god."

"Prideful creature, you are," Harry knocked his head gently into Tom's, "I'm sorry that I arrived so late today."

Tom blinked at Harry in a quick procession. "Oh. What happened to cause your tardiness? I was waiting, you know." Harry translated it to mean _It's okay, but what happened?_

"I'm sorry, Tom. I got caught up in a story, the one about how my parents met."

"You've heard that story so many times you know it by heart," Tom scoffed and nudged Harry minisculely. Harry translated it into: _I see._

"But... But Uncle David–"

"–Probably was coerced into following your bidding, am I right?" Tom pursed his lips into a smile.

Harry huffed in displeasure but said nothing as he attempted to look away from Tom's knowing eyes, and couldn't keep it up long because soon he started giggling and squeezing Tom's hand. "Sorry, Tom. I had the sudden itch to hear the story again. I wasn't trying to delay our meeting, you know."

Immediately, Tom frowned. Harry, in turn, also frowned.

"What? I wouldn't purposely stall, Tom. Honest. I just, for some odd reason, wanted to hear the story and it went longer than I thought. It doesn't help that mamá always rambles and kids around in the middle and tells this long list of things they did. Sometimes she digresses. You know how she is, Tom. I really didn't mean to. You know coming here is a highlight of any day for me, Tom." Harry babbled on as he turned his whole body to Tom and bounced up and down desperately. Tom cocked an eyebrow at Harry.

"Harry, you're rambling. Stop." Instantly, Harry stopped mid-bounce and watched Tom with a worried look on his cute little face.

"I am not angry, Harry. I only now realized something displeasing," Tom said, grinding his front teeth pensively.

"What is it, Tom?"

"I cannot believe I never asked you before." Tom tutted to himself as a self-admonishment.

"What? Tom, I can't very well help you if you don't tell me _what_." Harry rolled his eyes and exhaled deeply, used to Tom's melodrama.

"I never before asked you how your Uncle David came to your family. As you've said before, your mother is an only child and your other mother has no brothers except the one."

"Yea, Uncle _Kiene_."

"So, who is Uncle David exactly?"

Harry blinked in a succession of slow then quick blinks. "I've never told you?"

"Obviously not. Not that I can remember unless you obliviated me," Tom put a hand up to stop the incoming defense. "I know you didn't, Harry. I am only covering my bases, here," he added.

"Covering … your bases...?" Harry's face fixed itself into a confused look, "Oh. Like baseball! Muggle expression, I see." Harry smiled widely and chose to ignore Tom's dark scowl. Tom would do this often, scowl at muggles or the insinuation that he was 'corrupted by the filthy muggles' as Tom would say. In Harry's mind, he didn't understand why Tom would be mad about being born a muggle. He'd visited a lot of different places with his family, and muggles were honestly some of the most progressive species in the universe.

"I really don't feel like telling you who Uncle David is..." Harry started but then gasped as if he'd reached an epiphany. "Oh Merlin, I can't believe I've never thought of this before. It must be a compulsion web."

"Compulsion web?" Tom furrowed his brows.

"Yes. A compulsion web goes into your mind and kind of persuades you whatever it wants."

"It's manipulating your mind?" Tom asked, his anger rising. Harry placed a small pat on his shoulder to calm Tom down.

"No. It's more like … a compulsion. I'm part siren so wizarding mind magic doesn't really work once I figure it out. Either it was a compulsion or I really forgot to tell you. But I think it was a compulsion web. I've never broken a compulsion web before. I can't help but think how easy that was. Maybe it's because my powers are growing as _mami_ said. My mamá must have put it on me so I don't say the wrong things to strangers, but don't worry, you're no stranger, Tom." Harry smiled brightly. Tom relaxed slightly, sinking his back back into the tree.

"If I was subjugated to a compulsion web, how would I be able to get out of it?"

"I don't know, Tom. If I remember right, my mamá says that you need to be really good at something called occlomenucy or something like that. It's mind magic to protect your mind. I read it in a book once. It has to do with building walls in your mind so other people can't do anything to it."

"What could somebody do? How would I be able to master it? Can everybody master it? Can you?"

"Um... I think I naturally have some occlumency but not enough against somebody powerful. I'm not too sure about any of it... Maybe books..." Harry looked at Tom who looked at Harry with bright and enthusiastic eyes – it was a known fact that Harry couldn't refuse anything from a puppy-eyed Tom. "Fine, Tom. I will bring you books."

"Good. Now then, tell me about Uncle David."

"Demands, demands, demands. I'm not a servant, you know! You can't just demand me to do anything and I'll do it. I have–" Harry exclaimed but Tom promptly stopped his rant with a well placed pout and deviously tearful eyes. Grunting in exasperation, Harry relented.

"Fine, Tom, fine! Be that way. I hope you know that I don't like it when you do that to me. I will get you back someday," Harry mumbled to himself as Tom smirked triumphantly.

"Please, Harry. Stop the melodramatics and get on with your story because I know how you love telling stories." Tom rolled his eyes as he pointedly examined his nails.

"Me, melodramatic? Pot calling the kettle black... but you're right. I do like telling a story: Uncle David is my uncle not by blood or adoption. He's just Uncle David. And–"

"That makes no sense, Harry."

"Tom stop interrupting me or else. I'm getting to that part, okay. No interrupting until the end of the story. I know how you can be, so hush. Questions at the end," Harry chided smacking Tom's elbow. Tom made a grunt.

"Okay, so Uncle David... I guess I have to start the story from the beginning. Remember how I told you about the misunderstanding between the _leiwiin _and the _kiios. _My _mami_ comes from the _leiwiin_ siren tribe which are more reknowned for their beauty and magic strengths. 'Member? They're blue and beautiful and can glamour themselves to look human? They live in the middle of the seas because the _kiios_' territory consisted of all the coastal islands."

Rolling his eyes, Tom nodded mockingly; he didn't need to be told the story twice, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to humor Harry.

"Okay, well the _kiios _were jealous of the beauty of the _leiwiin_ but the _kiios _are the ones with strength and are the warriors. Well, about seventy years before I was born, the siren tribes had their annual meeting. The siren tribes that came were the _leiwiin, kiios, alliv, mwasen, junsei,_ and_ huweix._ The ones that live in the poles and never come to the meetings are the _Zlia_ and _Ylia_. In the mediterranean live the _leiwiin _and _kiios_. In the Americas, the _mwasen_ and _alliv._ In Asia, the _junsei_ and _huweix_.

"Well, the war between the _leiwiin_ and the _kiios_ started because of something gone wrong. In the _kiios_ areas, a lot of fish were dying and traders didn't like to sail on the seas of dead fish. Bad luck, they said. So instead, they came to the _leiwiin_ for trade which pleased the _leiwiins_ greatly, but there were more _leiwiins_ being born – more than ever before – and even though they had more trade, they still needed more territory to live. Money can't buy territory. Not for sirens anyways. Sirens have to either discover new land, make new land, or ask for new land from another tribe.

"One day, on scouting, the _leiwiins_ came near _kiios _territory where they found an island of poisoned trees that spread poison gas to the waters, and the trees were the ones that killed off the fish and made the traders come the _leiwiin_ way. Us, _leiwiins_ – well, I'm half-_leiwiin_ – have an ability that comes from our ancestors who are snake related. We have poisons in our body so we are able to tolerate poison. We can also make poison gas but let me get into that later if I have time.

"So, on the island with poison trees. The _leiwiin_ scouts chopped down the trees. That annual meeting that year, the _leiwiin _told the _kiios_ that they had poison trees that killed off all the fish and their trade and that the _leiwiins_ cut down the trees and so there would be no more poison. The _kiios _became very angry with us cutting down their trees because – I'll get into the 'why's later on. I'm going chronologically, here. We didn't know the reason 'why' until decades later.

"The _kiios_ started accusing us of putting the poison in the ocean and using that as an excuse to cut down their forest. They said that we could do poison – therefore, we were the ones who put the poison. Of course, we objected since we never did any of those things. Also, the _kiios_ said they saw a very large serpent in the sea through the mist near one of their territories. We–"

"'We'? Stop saying it as if you were there. Besides, I know most of this story. You told me when you were telling me how your mothers met," Tom admonished, tapping the back of my hand softly.

"I know you know it, but I'm getting to the good part. Just let me tell it as I want," I scoffed, "Continuing the story... _We_ had no idea of the serpent even though _we_ could talk and command sea serpents. So _we _were stumped. _We_ hadn't even ever heard of an enormous sea serpents. None of the ones _we_ knew were so big and _we_ would never threaten another siren tribe even if to gain more territory. _We _have _our_ own honor code."

"Harry. Stop being childish and continue with your story," Tom glowered at Harry, menacingly, but Harry wouldn't be deterred by a death glare he'd received a thousand times before.

"Well, Tom. I _deeply_ apologize if my tender age of eight is too _juvenile_ for your nine-year-old-ness," hissed Harry, eyes narrowed, teeth barred. His words didn't really have any bite to them, Tom knew.

"Well, it's good that we both have come to agree on one thing. Now if you will, _please_ continue with your story."

The strained 'please' placated Harry who smiled as if he'd never been cross and joked, "Well, Tom, since you asked _so_ nicely, I can't help but comply with you. It's not every night I hear Tom Riddle _begging_ for anything."

Before Tom could glare at Harry and say something along the lines of "I wasn't begging, brat," Harry continued his story.

"As I was saying...What was I saying again?"

"Going senile are you, Harry? You were talking of the giant serpent the _kiios_ had accused _leiwiins_ of using to sabotage their trade."

"Senile? Well, you're much older than the childish _me_, Tom. You tell me how it feels... Anyways, before you start getting your trousers in a twist, let me finish the story or else we'll both be sitting here bickering like the children that we are and that you so hate being. Bickering until I fall asleep and you'll never know how my Uncle David came to be."

Not even the slowest, most doddering clairvoyant could have missed predicting the harsh scowl on Tom's face. Despite the malice and irritation clearly underlying the scowl, Harry still thought that this scowl was particularly endearing.

Harry continued, "So, yes. The giant serpent wasn't the _leiwiin_'s and the war subsequently started on the misunderstanding. Oh, something to note: the _alliv_ told us, the _leiwiin,_ that they were to be the _kiios_' friend no longer after the _kiios_ declared war on the _leiwiin_.

"Well, skip seventy some years later and my both my mothers are going to the main _leiwiin_ colony after my _mami_'s exile had been terminated. Well, they both went to the colony which is on this big, rocky island – I'll have to show you pictures or I'll just have to take you some day – with terraced housing and farms. Anyhow, since the war started overpopulation hadn't been a problem. A terrible thing to say, but true. Not only were the _leiwiin_ dying with more casualties than the _kiios_ but no _leiwiin_ wanted to have children in times of war. The _kiios_ on the other hand thrived on war and they actually had a baby boom.

"The _leiwiin_ dying wasn't so much because they were weak but more because of recklessness of the younger _leiwiin_ who thought that charging head on into battle would do any good. No, even the youngest _kiios_ child knew that battle included strategy, another reason why they had the upper hand in the war. But the war stayed at a stalemate because the _kiios_ couldn't follow the _leiwiin_ off the coastal regions and because the _leiwiin_, when they had a good guerilla warfare strategy, could fend off and defeat some _kiios_ squadrons.

"My _mami_ and mamá came back to the colony at the most horrible of times because it was getting close to a final showdown kind of battle. The war had progressed into an all out hate-fest. Both sides hated the other so much; the original reason for the war was lost in all the hate. And then long story short, Uncle David came and together with my parents and others went to stop the final showdown. The final still happened, but it resulted in the termination of the war and concluded no winners."

"What, that's it?" Tom gaped indignantly, "You need to elaborate!"

"Okay, okay. I'm getting to it. I was only telling you an overview... Well, my parents went to the colony and immediately found out about the situation. My _mami_ tried to go to her sister, who is the _amwi_ or leader of the _leiwiin _tribe, and talk sense into her. Not to brag, but my _mami_ still had a lot of power in the _leiwiin_ tribe because she was the most appropriate successor of the throne before _Darya_ took it over. My _mami _was the eldest sibling, the strongest, and most magical, but her sister _Darya_ took it over by rallying all the younger _leiwiin_ into supporting her. That and my _mami_ never wanted the throne and didn't battle for it. Am I confusing you?"

Tom shook his head, "No. Your mother was to be leader of the tribe, but her younger sister, _Darya_, usurped the throne and sent your mother into a fifty year exile. I understand perfectly. I do have a question about the throne being hereditary. Was the previous leader your grandmother?"

"Actually, no. The leader before _Darya _was a powerful siren named _Leao_ and before her was my grandmother, _Jun_.So... two _amwi_'s before _Darya_ was my grandmother. _Leao _killed my grandmother to get the throne. Anybody _could_ take the throne; they just have to be powerful. It just so happens that my family has powerful blood, but the throne's not hereditary. There are special ways to get the throne. Anybody who wants the throne has to ask for an official duel and kill for it… well, kill among other things."

"What other things?"

"Ask me later, Tom. I'm digressing from the story!"

Tom huffed and rolled his eyes, but said nothing further.

"So, _Darya_, my _mami_'s sister who was the _amwi_ at the time, jokingly said that the final showdown wouldn't happen if anybody could convince the _kiios_ not to attack. _Darya_'s court laughed at the preposterous quest because both sides were very spiteful and the _kiios _never forgave the _leiwiin_ for the serpent and the poison all those decades ago.

"My _mami_, being my _mami_, said that she would go to the _kiios_ as diplomat and tell them how this war would not benefit either sides, no matter the hate. The war would almost extinguish both tribes, and no amount of vengeance was worth two entire species of sirens. The court stopped laughing then when they realized my _mami_ was serious. They told her it was suicide, but my _mami_ told them it was necessary and stalked off to get supplies to leave.

"My _mami_'s brother, _Kiene_, begged my _mami _to stay. My Uncle _Kiene_ really loved my _mami_ because he would rather have my mother stay and sacrifice any chance for peace than have the chance of getting her killed. I like my Uncle _Kiene _a lot," Harry smiled warmly as he watched the leaves flit across the night floor. Tom looked a little confused at the mention of love.

"But my _mami_ said no to him and then told my mamá to stay put on the island. My mamá who didn't understand the siren language hadn't really known what was going on even though she was with my _mami_ the whole time. When _mami_ explained that she was going to the _kiios_ to try to talk to them, my mamá told her that was suicide and then immediately told _mami_ that she was going as well. Now, _mami_ got all hypocritical and started saying 'No, you can't go because it's dangerous' and blah, blah, blah. It was dangerous, but no way was my mamá letting _mami _go alone. My mamá said that if my _mami_ was willing to risk her life, she was too. They had a little fight, but eventually mamá came out winner as she always does. Mamá can argue like it's nobody's business.

"I think mamá won the fight saying that she loved _mami_ and she would sooner die than to be left helpless while _mami_ goes off to die alone. And that _mami_ would need any help she could get. _Mami_ finally agreed to taking her. Also, I think my mamá threatened _mami_ with saying she would go anyways and _mami_ was to decide to take her or let my mamá sail in the seas alone. See, I told you my mamá is a wonderful argue-er.

"They left within a few hours. My _mami_ was basically flying them both there while mamá held onto her back. Unlike me, who is a half, my_ mami_ can transform into a larger version of herself with longer wings and grow scale-feathers all over. In my opinion, it just looks like a larger, more scaly version of my usual _mami_. While I can't get larger, I can grow my arms into small wings and feet into talons and get little tufts of blue feather-scales in some places, as you've seen. So my _mami _flew for about a day before they got tired and landed on an island half way between the _kiios_ land and the _leiwiin_ land.

"There, they rested and made a fire when the sun went down. Other people were on the island and my parents didn't know at the time, but they were attracting some _kiios_ scouts to their camp. _Mami_ heard noises and immediately put out the fire and then my parents started running from the camp when they heard _kiios_ war cries. Then, they bumped into somebody. They were ready, _mami_'s claws and mamá's wand at hand, but they didn't expect to find a man, a seemingly human man dressed in _kiios _attire.

"He said, 'Oh, hello there! You must be from the _leiwiin _that I heard so much about. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to lower your weapons so I can call my friends and capture you.'

"My mamá laughed and magically bound him, saying 'You know what. I think we'll take _you_ as a hostage!' Then my parents, now with a hostage, ran towards a mountain and found a cave to hide in for the night. My _mami_ was still tired so they either had to wait for the other _kiios_ soldiers to leave or start flying in a few hours before the sun rose again.

"My mamá put silencing spells around the cave and let the man speak. 'They were right. You bunch are a savage bunch,' the man said. He looked odd in his loincloth and red war paint all over his body. 'Oh shut up, you. We're trying to help, you know. Well, _Llange _here is anyways. She's trying to go to the _kiios_ and tell them the war is pointless. The casualties will be too high,' my mamá told him back.

"'Stop lying to me! I know about you and about how you guys poisoned their water with the giant serpent and cut down their sacred trees!' he yelled. Both my _mami_ and mamá were confused because they never heard of the sacred trees before.

"'Sacred trees?' my _mami_ asked. The man nodded and said, 'Yes. That forest that you cut down over seventy years ago was supposed to contain the souls of the _kiios_ ancestors. As if you didn't know that.'

"'We didn't! The _kiios_ were the ones who accused us of the giant serpent even though we never saw any! The trees were the ones that were poisoned. They had a disease that spread poison to the water! The _leiwiin_ only cut them down to protect the _kiios_! Merlin, we were doing you a favor!' mamá shouted back and _mami_ held her arms before she could clobber the man. The man was quiet for a second. 'It's hard to believe you, you know, even if your story was true.'

"'I apologize and understand,' _mami _said, 'It is hard for me as well to hear this new development. We had no idea we attacked ancestral trees and had we known, we would have told the _kiios_ first. We acted rashly, thinking that the _kiios_ would be happy. But we know nothing about the giant serpent and we have never seen a serpent larger than the long, skinny sea snakes we have as pets. I'm not sure what happened but the more I think about it, the more I suspect foul play.'

"'That's so true!' mamá said, 'A third party who would benefit from this war. Who would benefit from this war?'

"'Anybody could. Traders would not benefit, but other humans who wish to expand their marine business might. Other siren tribes might as well. They could capitalize on our territory although it would take a lot of effort to start a war for land,' _mami_ said.

"They discussed for a while, but all the participants knew they didn't know enough information to come to any conclusions. Plus, it was very hard for especially my _mami_ to come into terms that somebody else manipulated the _leiwiin _and _kiios_ into war. It wasn't as hard for my mamá and the man because they were outsiders who were only recently introduced to the war. Some time later, after some pensive thinking and some staring at the fire they'd made in the cave, they'd all realized that they never introduced themselves. My parents introduced themselves and the man did the same. He said, 'Hello, I am–"

"He is Uncle David," Tom nodded. Harry sighed deeply as if this happened all the time, which it did, and said in an overly slow, overly exasperated tone, "Tom, must you ruin all the fun for me?" at which Tom scoffed and replied, "Yes, if I don't, you'd digress and go into dramatics. You could have told from the beginning that the man was your uncle, but you chose to build up to the climax."

"And you chose to let it happen until you ruined the moment at the climax. If I didn't know better, I'd have _though_ you liked dramatics and bursting my bubble. But I do know you better, and you do like doing that." Pouting, Harry, on the inside, knew that both of them liked bantering like this.

"Continue your story, Harry, or else I'm afraid you'll be ranting until dawn."

"As you wish, milord." Harry made a grand sweeping gesture of mock-servitude and extravagance. Often, Harry joked how much of a snotty lord Tom acted, but he had no doubt Tom would become something powerful later (perhaps he _would_ become a lord later). Harry was a siren –he could tell on these types of things.

"The man introduced himself as Uncle David–"

"You mean he introduced himself as David something or another," Tom corrected.

"No. He literally said, 'Hello, I am Uncle David, a traveling time lord, currently working under the _kiios_ tribe as scout.' Yes, he said time lord. Neither of my parents had ever heard of a time lord before so he explained it to them. Basically he was just a traveler who could move through time and space in his spaceship which he calls Elizabeth. I've told you about Elizabeth before. She's wonderful. Anyways, both my parents felt skeptical. Sure, one of them was a witch and the other, a siren, but a time lord, traveling any time any where? Merlin knows that sounded impossible, but they had to either take his word for it or have no other idea who he was. Better a lie than nothing at all, my mamá says, at least the quality of the lie can tell you more about the person. Besides, the lie was so wonky that it had to be real.

"So my parents decided to trust Uncle David, and all three decided to take the new information to the _kiios amwi_ before it was too late. Uncle David informed us that the _kiios_ would start to move within the next day. My _mami_ wasn't sure that they would make it on time flying especially now with three people all together. Luckily, Uncle David said he had a boat and they left immediately. It was like four in the morning so nobody saw them leave.

"Because the winds were going against the boat, turning the sea too much to go fast, they arrived by the evening the next day; however, when they arrived they found that the _kiios amwi_ whose name is _Kawthar_ and the _kiios_ army already departed for battle. They were very, very disappointed and mad that they had missed the army by something like an hour and were about to leave when my _mami _saw some _alliv _councilmen in camp while they were sneaking around. They had to sneak around since if my _mami_ was caught before she met the _Kawthar_, the _kiios_ _amwi_, it would not end well and probably wouldn't even let _mami_ close to _Kawthar. _They almost got caught by a guard, but they tied the guard up and brought her along with them in case they needed more information on the _kiios_ later on. Like where they went, how many soldiers there are, and other stuff.

"Okay, remember I said when I was telling you the story of the original reason the war started? Well, remember when the _alliv_ said that they were no longer to be friends with the _kiios_. Well, that's what got my _mami_ very confused because here were some very important _alliv_ council people who were being treated like guests. So mamá put a listening spell (and recording spell just in case) on the _alliv _and Uncle David used his time lord magic to translate the words for all of them,and they heard some very frightening things.

"The _alliv_ said that their plans were coming together perfectly, but were 'regretful' that the war took this long to come to a finish. They said it as if it was troublesome for them to have waited so long for the destruction of entire species. My mamá immediately wanted to curse them with nasty bone melting curses but _mami_ held her back since it would lead to nothing. Even if they got revenge on them, the war would continue.

"The _alliv_ spoke about how years ago they made the illusion of a giant snake in the sea since they're so good with illusion and mist magic and how the spread the poison into the roots of the trees, knowing they were the _kiios_ ancestor trees and in fact were so happy that the _leiwiin_ actually cut them down. Their original plan was to say that the _leiwiin_ put the poison there but they knew that was going to be hard to stick because the _kiios_ and the _leiwiin _were on such good terms. It was a godsend that the _leiwiin_ cut down the trees and the _kiios_ took it as an act of agression.

"I'm not sure why they started saying stuff from the beginning but Uncle David says that people, at the end, like to think of the beginning. I don't really understand because if it were me – well firstly, I wouldn't have done all those evil things but if I did for some reason – I wouldn't talk about it in public where other people can hear me. Plus, they still had that _kiios_ guard who also heard everything. That guard couldn't believe her ears. She was one of the younger guards so she didn't get to go with the soldiers even though she did say that she really, really hated the _leiwiin_ even though she never met one before in her life. She was born after the war started. Oh, her name's _Masika_. _Masika_ helps out a lot later on, but I'll get to that.

"Now, there were the four of them with all this information about what happened and they had to get it to both the _amwi_'s, _Kawthar _and _Darya_, to tell them what actually happened. Some person came into the tent of the _alliv_ before they could ever hear _why_ they planned all this.

"_Masika_ told them she had a ship, faster than Uncle David's, so they went on that one instead, in hopes of catching the _kiios _armada. A while later, the _alliv_ found out that they had listeners in on their conversation and set a boat after _Masika_'s to stop them. It was basically a race to the _amwi_, not that my _mami_'s group knew it. The _alliv_ finally did catch up to my parents and stopped them even though they were a few miles away from the _kiios amwi_. Then they devised a really evil plan. Since my _mami_ was a _leiwiin_, they decided to conjure up the illusion of that giant serpent again and tie my _mami_ to the serpent so that the _kiios_ would have no choice but to think that the serpent was the property of the _leiwiin_.

"The giant serpent, wasn't of course, going to go in the battle because it was just an illusion, but would just pass by close enough to ensure that the _kiios _could see it. Then, there would be no doubt in the _kiios'_ mind that the war was the _leiwiin_'s fault. They magically fixed my _mami_ to stand on top of the illusion and make her ride the giant serpent. They never made a illusion of an actual _leiwiin_ before because while the _kiios _could not magically sense whether an animal was real or not, they did have this instinct to sense other sirens and they could tell basically what tribe the siren was from. That was all. Like I said, the _kiios_ are the warriors and not the magicians. If it was the _leiwiin_, we would have been able to tell that the serpent was not real and that there was magic holding the siren in place. It's complicated but basically once the _kiios_ saw _mami_ on the serpent, it'd stoke the old fires and war would be impossible to stop then, no matter what even _Masika_ says. Even though she, herself, was a _kiios_. The rest of them would be too busy thinking of revenge to care about the truth.

"For _Masika,_ Uncle David, and my mamá, the _alliv_ ordered execution, but they were stupid because they thought that Uncle David and mamá were just ordinary humans, wrong place, wrong time. Little did they know, they were facing a Slytherin witch and a time lord. When the _alliv_ turned their backs on them, mamá unbound the ropes and they made an escape to try to save_ mami_. Unfortunately, the giant, fake snake had already made it to the front lines of the _kiios_.

"At the front line, there was a large strip of sea between the _kiios_ and _leiwiin_ armadas. The _kiios_ boats looked larger and more menacing and more in number. They had red war paint splashed on the sides like blood, and their sails were black and large like their eyes. The _kiios_,themselves, looked no less menacing: they had their bird body with long tawny beaks that were pointed like harpoons, hooked talons, blue-black feathers, and long wiry silver hair like old corpses. In general, they looked deadly and scary.

"The _leiwiin_ didn't nearly look as fierce with their lithe blue bodies and smaller, swifter boats. They could also transform bigger but they weren't nearly as horrific or as large as the _kiios_. They looked like large cobalt versions of themselves with soft scale-feathers– not really feathers but not really scales. Their hair was soft, wavy and gentle green or purple hair and they had no elongated beaks. They looked humanoid, mostly, except for the wings, the scale-feathers, and how much taller they were. In comparison, the _leiwiin_ looked like a dream which was why a lot of enemies underestimate them. _Leiwiin_ are strong, but they never had a war before so they didn't really know what they were doing and the _kiios_ took this to advantage.

"So, it was a standoff between magic and muscle, speed and brute force, and creativity and experience. The two sides stood still as if waiting for the other side to make the first move. Neither wanted to. And then everybody saw the giant serpent and started freaking out. The _kiios _started getting angry and it looked like they were getting ready to make the first strike. The _leiwiin_ were just confused and some were starting to think that this was a set up, that the serpent belonged to the _kiios_ and the _kiios_ just used the giant serpentas an excuse for war.

"My mamá quickly went to where _mami_ was and started breaking the spells around her. It was hard as it was completely new magic to mamá but mamá had taken Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and understood basically how to dismantle it. Once free, _mami_ asked mamá to cast sonorus amplify her voice to get both sides to shut up. It worked appropriately. Because everybody had seen the giant serpent disappear into mist, they were beginning to realize there was never such a thing as the giant serpent. Then _mami_ started explaining the _alliv_ plan and how this whole war was started by them. Both sides were really skeptical and I think it was because they didn't really want to end the war. They said they did but seventy years is hard to just sweep under the rug and forgive.

"Then _Masika_ came and said the same thing. When she did that, the _kiios_ started whispering because _Masika_ was well trusted in their community and known to be honest. Then, Uncle David told mamá to show everybody the recording and hope that that would solidify what they just said. Mamá wondered if the recording would help because anybody knew that anybody could make or edit a magical recording, but she played it anyways. Afterwards, the two sides broke into silence and then loudness until both _amwi_s came flying to the center of the battlefield towards my parents' group.

"_Darya _knew that mami would not lie because she was her sister. _Kawthar _knew _Masika _would not lie because _Masika _was her favorite young siren. It seemed like maybe the war would be able to end. Probably if it did end that way, it would have been too easy.

"It didn't end that way because out of nowhere two arrows shot into the center and struck _Darya _and _Kawthar_ in their hearts. The hearts of sirens are the only way to ensure that they die. I'm only telling you this because I trust you, Tom. I'm a half-siren so I can get killed a lot of other ways too, but people like my _mami_ can only die if you stab them in the heart or take their heart from their bodies. There's a myth that if you eat a siren's heart, you'll gain siren powers. That, of course, is stupid, but some collectors like to collect siren hearts because they are supposed to be the source of the siren power and also are really pretty.

"Both the _amwi_'s died instantly. If an _amwi_ dies without another siren killing them and inheriting their throne, the temporary _amwi_ would be the second most powerful siren. Usually, they could give tournaments for that sort of thing, but under the pressure of war at the time, it was just chaos. Before anybody knew it, _leiwiin_ was fighting _leiwiin_, _kiios_ fighting _kiios_, and _leiwiin_ fighting _kiios_. Nobody knew what was going on or what to do and everybody was killing each other, which was exactly what the _alliv_ wanted to happen. My parents and their group did the best they could to stun as many sirens as they could and gain control but it was massacre in the skies. Sirens of the same tribes vied for power and killed sirens of different tribes because of seventy years of hatred.

"My mamá didn't know what to do. _Mami_ didn't know how to stop the war either. They looked to Uncle David because he was a time lord, but he just shook his head. He was a time traveler, not a god.

"A lot of sirens were dying or dead after barely ten minutes of fighting and stray curses and arrows. Bodies were falling into and floating on the waves. And nobody knew what to do. Everywhere was a shamble of anarchy. It was..."

Harry hadn't noticed he was shaking until Tom pulled him closer like Harry often did when Tom felt horrible (although Tom did it more awkwardly than Harry would have). Closing his eyes and sighing deeply, Harry set his head on Tom's shoulder. Bony or not, Harry still enjoyed being close to Tom.

"It was bad, Tom, just plain bad," Harry finished.

"How'd the war end? Your parents are obviously okay," Tom noted and inwardly wondered if he had sounded too clinical.

"Yes, thank Merlin for that. It was actually_ Masika _who saved the whole war. Weird, huh? She was the one that the _kiios_ left behind because she was too young. Perhaps it was also because she was very, very powerful in magic – especially for a _kiios_, but just didn't know how to harness her powers. For all this time, she'd been trying to scream at everybody to stop fighting. Finally, I think her magic built up and exploded. She let out this large magical shockwave that stopped everyone in their places. Immediately, she fell unconscious and if _mami_ hadn't done anything right away, the war would have resumed.

"Swooping down to grab _Masika, mami _started yelling 'Stop! Sisters, brothers, cousins. We are all sirens and we have all been wronged today. We have been given reason to resolve our hatred of seventy years. So why do we continue fighting? The real enemy. The real enemy is not on this battlefield, but puppeteering from above, waiting, plotting for all of us to kill each other. Both of our _amwi_'s have been killed so why are we not trying to find the killers? Instead we see killers in our friends' eyes. I beg everybody to stop. Please, stop this! Just think. Use this moment of stillness to _think_ about what just occurred. Two arrows hit both our _amwi_s. Neither arrow came from the _leiwiin_ nor the _kiios_. So, why are we fighting each other? Please, I beg everyone to use their minds before vengeance and confusion. Seventy years this war was fought over nothing. The _leiwiin_ never knew the giant serpent and we did not poison your ancient forest. We did not know we had cut down your sacred forest. We only knew we had gotten rid of the poison. The _kiios_ believed what the _alliv _wanted them to. Have you never thought why the _alliv_ were constantly in your territory as _Masika _told me? Weren't they the ones that told you how horrible we were? Please no more fighting. I beg you. We are all cousins, so why are we fighting?'

"There was silence and mamá hoped the speech got to everybody's hearts as it got to hers, but it didn't. Surprisingly, the _leiwiin_ broke out in yelling first and made way towards the _kiios_ with bloodlust.

"'No! I believe my sister and anybody who wants to kill her goes through me," Uncle _Kiene_ shouted, arms spread, acting as a wall between the _leiwiin _and the _kiios_. Many _leiwiin_ doubted _Kiene's_ abilities because he was a male, but after a group of _leiwiin_ were stopped by mamá's and _Kiene_'s barriers, some of the ones on _mami_'s side came and faced the rest of the _leiwiin_. A lot of _leiwiin_ did not want to fight any more and a lot of _leiwiin_ respected my _mami_ and the new revelation she had brought to them. But many more were just confused and couldn't move.

"My mamá and Uncle David blocked the _kiios _side, and more and more of them relaxed. The _kiios_ had no chance standing mamá's barrier anyways. Some were still aggravated, but _Masika_ woke up and more or less learned of the situation. She stood up against the _kiios_ as well. Somehow or another, the war deflated and everything was mostly okay. It ended that day.

"Afterwards, the _leiwiin _asked my _mami _to be _amwi_, but my _mami_ never intended to be _amwi_. She had declined ninety years ago to succeed my grandmother, _Jun_, and she would decline once more. I don't think any other person ever declined the position once let alone twice other than a siren centuries ago. She volunteered _Kiene_ to be _amwi_ and a lot of people made fun of him for trying, but he proved his power. I'm not sure why he never showed it before. I think before, he was really scared of everyone and how they treated him so badly, but then finally realized something worth fighting for. He loved the tribe and I think after the war, he knew that he might be the only one who could lead it properly and without hate for the _kiios_.

"Also, _Masika_ got position of _amwi_ for the _kiios_. It seemed like a stroke of luck, but I think a lot of the _kiios_ wanted a magically powerful _amwi_ to be able to communicate with us. Also, she was one of the original people who heard the _alliv _plan.

"Uncle David went back to the _leiwiin_ tribe with my parents. School started in a week for my mamá. _Mami_ had to go out and find the _alliv_ to explain their purpose of the war and try to come into agreement with all the other tribes in the world what to do to the _alliv. _That included traveling the world and finding the other tribes to tell them what had happened as well as going to North America and dealing with the _alliv_ who were probably scrambling around now that their plan was uncovered and foiled. Uncle David asked to go with _mami_, but my mamá couldn't go without missing school and the journey would take more than a few months.

"My mamá really wanted to go and she was ready to skip school to go too. _Mami_ didn't like that idea at all. Even though she loved mamá and would do anything to keep her near, _mami_ also knew she couldn't keep mamá with her selfishly. She knew mamá had to go back to her own world. Mamá had people at home who didn't even know she was alive or where she was. They had agreed to being together after mamá graduated from Hogwarts, but the stakes had changed and mamá would throw all that out the window for _mami_ and to get justice for the _lewiin _and _kiios_.

"It was after much angst and despair that Uncle David reminded both of them that he had Elizabeth and could travel in time, meaning that even if their journey took fifty years, he could always bring mamá back to her seventh year of Hogwarts. Mamá commented how nobody would recognize her if she returned to her seventh year as a sixty-seven year old. _Mami _had a solution for that, but didn't really like it. Mamá asked her for the solution for many days, but during those days, _mami_ just said that everything would be better if she just went home. Mamá countered that _mami_'s journey was also her journey and after all her troubles, she couldn't just run back to England. Finally, mamá won and _mami_ told her that she could stay young indefinitely if she were to bond with _mami_ as a spouse.

"Okay, here's how the siren body works: Sirens reach inheritance at age of eleven. Early, yes, but sirens mature very fast. Sirens hit a kind of magical puberty around eight. They mature so quickly because they have to to survive in harsh conditions and the like. If a siren has no spouse, their physical body remains the age of seventeen. With a spouse but no child, the physical body can grow up to twenty-five years old but afterwards stays as a twenty-five year old. The minute the child is born, they can age. This biological clock is more to make sure that the sirens don't die of old age before reproducing. It was more necessary in the olden times when finding a spouse was hard or in times of war when it wasn't safe to have a child for years. It ensures that a siren will stay in his or her prime years to gain a spouse and subsequently have a child.

"Also, if the spouse of a siren is not also a siren, the biological clock gets transferred to the spouse (though if you're like fifty it won't turn you seventeen but will ensure you don't age from fifty). So, if they were to go on a ten year journey, my mamá would technically be twenty-seven but wouldn't look a day over twenty five. Same if it was a fifty year journey. My mamá would be sixty-seven but would look twenty five. And she would only have to use minor glamours to make herself look seventeen again. From sixty-seven to seventeen, that would take way, way more magic. Not that anybody expected the journey to take that long, but who knows, right? Plus, being a spouse gave mamá additional siren powers and a link with _mami_ that would help her keep mamá safe if they were going on the journey. The pros outweighed the cons by a large margin.

"Of course, my mamá said yes because she wanted to be _mami_'s spouse. She wanted to finish this whole war business, too. Now that she knew that the _alliv _were responsible, she couldn't just let them off the hook while she learned how to transfigure chairs into elephants in Hogwarts. And she had decided on being _mami_'s spouse a while back ever since she learned that was an option; this just pushed her plans up a little. She loved _mami_ and a year in Hogwarts wouldn't change that. You see, another reason why _mami_ wanted mamá to go back to school was to think about the relationship with her. _Mami _underestimated mamá's feelings and thought a little time away would open mamá's eyes. Of course not! Mamá loves _mami_ so much. _Mami_ is too dense sometimes...

"In a few days, they got married on the colony's island and bonded. In the next few days, the newly wedded and Uncle David travelled out to find the other tribes and the _alliv_. It took them about a year to track down the other tribes minus the _alliv, Ylia,_ and _Zlia._ It took another year to track the _alliv_ _amwi_ and the council members and bring them back to justice. At the annual siren meetings, they decided what to do with the _alliv_ responsible.

"The _alliv_ members in charge of creating the war wanted the war mostly for territory and also they wanted to gain control of Middle Eastern oil. You see, there was a prophecy saying how their entire tribe's power would change if they tried to bring war between the _leiwiin_ and _kiios_ for the oil in the Middle East. I don't think they realized that that change could have been bad. I think as the years went on, they deluded themselves into thinking that the oil was connected to the boom of the automobile industry and that war would bring them more power with the US government. Well, the prophecy worked alright. Their power did change. It went downhill. See? That's the problem with prophecies. You read them and misinterpret them and do exactly what they want you to. If you don't bother with them in the first place, they wouldn't have come true.

"Anyways, they stripped the _alliv amwi_ and the councilmembers of their siren powers, which as you imagine, is the worst punishment for a siren, and appointed a trusted _amwi_ to the _alliv_. The _alliv_ were closely watched as were their trade. In fact, I believe the annual meeting decided to demand for reparations for the _leiwiin_ and _kiios_ tribe, reparations that would take decades to pay off. I feel bad for the _alliv_ tribe because all of them suffered from a few peoples' doing, but what can you do about it? You got to give them punishment or else some idiot might want to do it again. And you can't go too harsh or else they'll start a rebellion. Or if you do go too harsh, you have to have good military support if they do start to rebel. But that's not acting very nice to them. It's complicated, I think.

"Anyhow, my parents and Uncle David decided to leave that to _Kiene_ and _Masika_ to help make sure the _alliv_ tribe's punishment was fair, not lax and not too cruel. So after two years, my mamá could return to Hogwarts. And she would have if it weren't for Uncle David and his celebratory gift for finishing the journey. He proposed for them to go see some moon on some planet that was made entirely of silver as a good-bye present to my parents. Unfortunately, after that moon, they went to go visit some constellations and then they went to go eat some sort of rare delicacy made of Ulfbasten's tongue and then they went to go see the sheep on some sheep planet. You get it. They kept on traveling, saying that mamá could come back to the right time period (September 1st, 1972) any time. They traveled a while because mamá was twenty-five for quite a while. I think they traveled for ten/fifteen years. Nobody can be too sure since nobody was aging.

"Uncle David never aged. He stayed his thirty-something self with dark hair and bright eyes. He's Uncle David. If something happens to him, he just goes into this chamber of his and he comes out all better as if nothing ever happened to him. I think the only problem is that he can only use to chamber to save his life so many times, but he doesn't die too often so it's okay. And my parents didn't age from twenty-five – though neither really changed. My mamá felt pretty confident that she could go back to school without any glamours. Maybe it was her ego. Who knows.

"So everybody finally sends my mamá back to school and they promise not to go on adventures without her until the end of her school year. One tiny problem. When they went back to 1972, they were off by a few months... and by a few months I mean that mamá came back to school somewhere in April of 1973. You should have seen the looks on their faces. Maybe one day you will. I'll sneak you into my mamá's penseive someday because I can tell a story really well but it's not the same if you don't see it."

"You mean, sneak into it like you do all the time despite your mothers' warnings?" asked Tom with a taunting eyebrow.

"Yes. Exactly, Tom, exactly," Harry smiled resolutely, "How else do I know what happens? It's better than 3D movies or those live-in movies where your brain is plugged into the movie so you experience everything and–"

"What?"

"Nevermind. Sorry, Tom: Spoilers," Harry's smile now broadened into what Tom believed to be an insufferable grin. Scowling up a storm, Tom folded his arms together. His most hated word in all history: Spoilers.

"You're making an unhappy face again. You'll get wrinkles you know," Harry joked, sticking his right index finger right in the middle of the furrowed brows. Snappishly, Tom swatted his hand away, not one bit lessening the smile on Harry's face.

"What happened after your mother went back to Hogwarts, half a year late?" Tom asked, feeling the need to distract himself from Harry's annoying and all-knowing smile.

"Maybe another time, mi belleza. I'm sleepy," Harry pouted, making a point to yawn.

"Ugh. Insufferable. That's what you are. One moment, you're bouncing to tell me a story. Another, you're too tired," Tom grumbled.

"Ah, but I'm cute so I'm forgiven."

"Wishful thinking, Harry."

"Don't lie, Tom. You love me and hate yourself because you do," Harry grinned, eyes closed, head on Tom's shoulder, and hand holding Tom's closely. The night was cold but Harry couldn't care less cuddled up into his best friend, Tom, under a warm blanket and the protective stars.

"Hmmm," Tom made a noncommittal grunt, "Fine. We'll sleep tonight, but tomorrow you'll be back to tell the story."

Even though Tom hadn't asked it as a question, Harry knew one when he heard one. Tom was like that a lot: Harry had to read between the lines since Tom never said _anything_ important out loud. Lifting his head from Tom's shoulder and looking into Tom's eyes with sleepy determination, Harry nodded.

"I'll come back, Tom. Every night. Always," Harry smiled sleepily and went back to snuggling closer to Tom. Months ago, Tom had insisted on personal space, but Harry ignored him every time. Now, Tom liked Harry invading his space but would never admit it.

"Always, Harry?"

"As long as I am able," Harry clucked his tongue and grinned. Tom frowned. Usually, Harry would say "Always!" in a bright and unmistakably Harry voice.

"What?" Harry asked, "Not right? Then always. Always."

Smirking, Tom nudged Harry slightly, drawling "That's what I want to hear."

Harry scowled in imitation of Tom. Tom laughed. Harry squeezed Tom's hand and gave him a double goodnight kiss on the cheek as his both his mothers would. He figured he'd have to since nobody else would for Tom. He figured he'd be Tom's mothers, brothers, best friends and everything else as long as he could. And he wasn't sure how long it would last...

In the morning, Tom woke up, feeling slightly cold. Dawn peeked out over the trees with bright pink and yellow streaks. For once, Tom would have liked to wake up and Harry be there. Somewhat sadly, Tom stood up and stalked off to Wool's orphanage, leaving behind a cold tree trunk and a scatter of leaves where Harry had once been.

* * *

**AN**: I have turned into a hypocrite but before that:

**Hadrian**, you're completely right. David is a reference to David Tennant (10th doctor). The tenth was always my favorite, and I was flabbergasted when you guessed it right the first time. Go you!Obviously, there are some differences between Uncle David and the Doctor so it's not got anything to do with the Doctor Who series, but it's still a reference!

Right, Hypocrite: I normally don't _like_ stories that have this long prologue type of deal. I want to get to the story, to Harry/Tom, dammit! And here I am writing this background. Haha. The irony. Also, I don't get why there are HP/TMR and HP/LV stories. They are the same person. Just b/c LV is older and snake-like does not somehow magically change his birth. (Or so I think) Shouldn't it be HP / LV/TMR?

Sorry for the time it took to update. I write in constant fear of never fulfilling my own expectations, so it always takes longer than it should. =]

My thinking music here is Jascha Heifetz/Itzhak Perlman. Methinks: Heifetz's conservativeness and ingenuity and aristocratic sexiness fully conceptualizes Tom. Heifetz's stony face seemed to show no emotion, but the passion, intensity, and dedication are in the music and in his eyes (this is more for young Tom).

Harry sounds like a younger (much younger, less experienced) Itzhak Perlman. More emotion. The pulling of his bow is more like the pulling of your heartstrings.

Perlman and Heifetz are both violinists; Heifetz (1901–1987), Perlman (1945–). If you'd like, check out Zigeunerweisen by both of these fantabulous violinists. Youtube is your friend =]

Til next time, mis bellezas.

* * *

Chapter 3: When Tom and Harry first meet.


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